Arapawa Pig
Encyclopedia
The Arapawa Pig is a feral
breed of domestic pig
(Sus scrofa) found on Arapawa Island
in the Marlborough Sounds
, New Zealand
. Although there are suggestions that the animals are descendants of pigs introduced to the area by James Cook
in 1773 and 1777, it is more likely that their ancestors were released by whalers
in the early 19th century. They are known to have inhabited the island since 1839. In 1998 four piglets were removed from the island and have since bred successfully.
s, another distinctive feral breed deriving from many generations of insular isolation, Arapawa Pigs are larger, and have shorter noses and tails. They are hairy and principally sandy or tan in colouration, often with black patches. The boars weigh 120-180 kg, and the sows 80-100 kg.
Feral
A feral organism is one that has changed from being domesticated to being wild or untamed. In the case of plants it is a movement from cultivated to uncultivated or controlled to volunteer. The introduction of feral animals or plants to their non-native regions, like any introduced species, may...
breed of domestic pig
Domestic pig
The domestic pig is a domesticated animal that traces its ancestry to the wild boar, and is considered a subspecies of the wild boar or a distinct species in its own right. It is likely the wild boar was domesticated as early as 13,000 BC in the Tigris River basin...
(Sus scrofa) found on Arapawa Island
Arapawa Island
Arapawa Island is a small island located in the Marlborough Sounds, at the north east tip of the South Island of New Zealand.The island has a land area of...
in the Marlborough Sounds
Marlborough Sounds
The Marlborough Sounds are an extensive network of sea-drowned valleys created by a combination of land subsidence and rising sea levels at the north of the South Island of New Zealand...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. Although there are suggestions that the animals are descendants of pigs introduced to the area by James Cook
James Cook
Captain James Cook, FRS, RN was a British explorer, navigator and cartographer who ultimately rose to the rank of captain in the Royal Navy...
in 1773 and 1777, it is more likely that their ancestors were released by whalers
Whaling
Whaling is the hunting of whales mainly for meat and oil. Its earliest forms date to at least 3000 BC. Various coastal communities have long histories of sustenance whaling and harvesting beached whales...
in the early 19th century. They are known to have inhabited the island since 1839. In 1998 four piglets were removed from the island and have since bred successfully.
Description
Compared with Auckland Island PigAuckland Island Pig
The Auckland Island Pig is a feral breed of domestic pig found on subantarctic Auckland Island, New Zealand. Various introductions of pigs were made to the uninhabited island as a source of food for stranded sailors or visiting whalers, the first in 1807 with further liberations in 1840, 1842 and...
s, another distinctive feral breed deriving from many generations of insular isolation, Arapawa Pigs are larger, and have shorter noses and tails. They are hairy and principally sandy or tan in colouration, often with black patches. The boars weigh 120-180 kg, and the sows 80-100 kg.